Thursday -- August 11, 2005
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 TODAY'S BOOK STOP ... JACKSONVILLE!
Tonight we'll be at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, Jacksonville, Florida! The event, sponsored by AM 690 WOKV and Books-a-Million, will begin at 7:00 in the ballroom. See you there! Tomorrow night we're at the Page & Palette bookstore in Fairhope, Alabama, right outside of Mobile and my high-school hometown of Pensacola, Florida! Last night we were at the Borders book store in Gainesville, Florida. We had been warned that classes weren't in session at the University of Florida and that the crowd might be small. Well ... those warnings certainly didn't come true. Gainesville was the largest crowd we've had on the tour ... large and enthusiastic. Once again the store sold out of books before we even arrived! The call went out across Gainesville for more books ... but there were no more to be had. Other stores had sold out also. I just can't tell you what this means to Congressman Linder and myself ... we can only say thanks. We'll see you tonight in Jacksonville. [If you don't want to check out the whole gallery, you've got to at least see this picture.] THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !!!!  We got the word just as we were arriving at our Gainesville, Florida hotel. The FairTax Book will debut at No. 1 on the New York Times non-fiction bestseller's list. In a word .... unbelievable. Oddly enough, this list won't actually be published until August 21st. Go figure.
Last winter I spent week after week doing my radio show, grabbing a sandwich for lunch, and then sitting down in front of the word processor and stacks of research to pound out my portion of this book. Congressman Linder was doing the same thing at his home in Washington DC or Atlanta. We both believe totally in the FairTax idea, and we wanted to have a book out there for people who were similarly dedicated, or who just had a curiosity that needed to be satisfied. Neither of us ever imagined what would happen. Neither, frankly, did the publisher. It was only about six weeks ago that we started to wonder whether or not we might be able to make it to the New York Times bestseller's list. Now that we know we will debut August 21st No. 1, we're just blown away. This means so much for The FairTax movement. Any book that rises to No. 1 creates a buzz ... whether it's about teenaged wizards or tax reform. Well ... especially tax reform. This just doesn't happen. Books on tax reform don't go to No. 1. So now opinion makers, politicians, pundits, editorial writers, reporters, columnists and others will take notice and start paying attention. This will result in more and more efforts such as this opinion piece that appeared in the Clark Times-Courier in Berryville, Virginia. Late yesterday I was notified that a writer and photographer from a major national magazine will join the book tour today to see just what is going on here. This will mean that more and more Americans will become aware of the essence of the FairTax, and what it can mean to both their personal financial picture and to the American economy. As the people become aware this idea becomes more and more impossible for the political class to ignore. Do we have hopes that The FairTax Book will stay at No. 1? Well, that would be nice ... but I'm not expecting it. Our best hope is that continued interest in this fantastic tax reform idea will keep the book up there in the top five for weeks ... and that the FairTax will continue to generate conversation across the country. 
Clark Howard sent in this picture of his daughter holding The FairTax Book. Look! 30% Off! What A Deal!
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Again. Congressman Linder and I thank you ... as do the tens of millions of Americans who have been laboring under a punishing and confiscatory tax system for generations. This is a great country, and a country of bold ideas. The current income tax is beyond salvaging. In 1986 we enacted what was supposed to be a wonderful tax reform plan that eliminated most tax deductions and instituted what was essentially a two-tiered flat tax. There were two tax brackets, 15% and 28%. Simple as that. But it didn't stay simple. That tax law has now been amended and modified more than 10,000 times. Now ... speaking of the flat tax, just why would the FairTax be better? OK, let's just count a few ways. The flat tax keeps the IRS. The flat tax means you still pay Social Security Taxes and Medicare taxes. There will still be withholding from your paycheck. The money you save and invest? Still taxed. What's more, as we have seen over the past 19 years, the flat tax is still subject to manipulation by politicians. They can come in any time with a little amendment raising the rate on that evil top one percent of income earners. They can still create tax credits for other income groups in order to buy votes. The embedded taxes in every item you buy? Still there. Get the picture? OK ... time to pack my stuff, head to the Sky-97 studios in Gainesville and do another show. Then it's off to Jacksonville where we hope to have a tremendous crowd this evening. I'll turn over Nealz Nuze to the Boortz staff for some more program notes and your reading assignments. Again ... thanks. Let's keep this FairTax idea at or near the top of the list for a while now. The politicians are taking note ... and they now know that they can't demagogue the FairTax with false claims that it will burden the poor. The people know better. Now ... for those of you who think that the FairTax idea is a good one, and would like to see it come to pass, but who just believe that it is so bold and monumental a change as to be all but impossible .... here's a quotation I yanked off a good friend's email. The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can't be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it. |
YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK
 Whenever there is a natural disaster (like a hurricane in Florida,) FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency rushes in to help. Eager politicians, always happy to spend other people's money to buy votes, also head to the affected area to spread tax dollars around, hoping people will remember their "generosity" in the voting booth.
Well, today we get word that FEMA has not only been overly generous, but they're just paying for anything and everything. Florida state coroners did a little prying (no pun intended) and found that FEMA paid for the funerals of 203 Floridians in 2004...funerals that had nothing to do with hurricanes. Wow..funerals are expensive...what a deal! Perhaps FEMA could pick up the tab for your next dinner party. Or pay some other bill if things get a bit tight next month. You know, with high gas prices and all. You can just call it your own personal "natural disaster."
Here's a quick look at just one such case of FEMA's largesse. A 60-year-old truck driver collapsed and died from a heart attack, weeks after the latest hurricane tore through Florida. No problem...FEMA picked up the tab. In another case, they covered funerals for six people who committed suicide. They even paid for funerals of people who weren't in Florida! Perhaps they were thinking about a hurricane at the time.
So the next time there is a hurricane in Florida or elsewhere, just remember your tax dollars are at work.
DELUSIONAL BOB WOODWARD
 Vice President Dick Cheney said the following on February 6 of this year on 'Fox News Sunday,' in response to a direct question from Chris Wallace about whether or not he would run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination:
CHENEY: Chris, I will have been at this business off and on for most of the last 40 years. And I've loved it. It's been a hell of a career. I will say just as hard as I possibly know how to say -- I don't know whether you want me to take a Sherman...or say, "If nominated, I will not run," "If elected, I will not serve," or not only no, but "Hell no." I've got my plans laid out. I'm going to serve this president for the next four years, and then I'm out of here.
So that's that. Dick Cheney is not running for president in 2008. But, that didn't stop Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward from taking to the podium Tuesday night in a talk he was giving and predicting that Cheney would do just that. Said Woodward: "He would be 67 if he ran and was elected. Reagan was 69. Nixon was 68. Republicans always like the old warhorse ... Both parties like to nominate vice presidents. Cheney would do it, and I think it's highly likely."
Perhaps somebody should check up on Bob Woodward. He seems to have a screw loose.
GAS PRICE HYSTERIA IS BACK
A headline today on 'The Drudge Report' is screaming about record gas prices. The link sends you to an Associated Press story that correctly says gas hit $65 a barrel yesterday and also says the average nationwide price of gas last week was $2.37, which is supposed to be a record.
Only it isn't. There is no record. The media continues to advance the lie about record oil and gas prices. Adjusted for inflation, oil would have to hit $90 a barrel and gas go over $3 a gallon for us to break the record. What we're experiencing now is nothing more than the standard increased demand during the summer driving season. With our lack of refinery capacity and different environmental blends in the summertime, gas is a bit more scarce.
So go ahead...impress your friends at the water cooler today. There are no record gas prices. REDNECK SCRAP BOOK Everyone knows you can't go fishing without beer. More in the Redneck Scrap Book. READING ASSIGNMENTS
Republican Women vs Democrat Women. Yikes!
Mick Jagger says his upcoming song "Sweet Neo Con" is not a Bush-bashing tune. Among the lyrics: "How come you're so wrong? My sweet neo-con, where's the money gone, in the Pentagon?" Or maybe this: "It's liberty for all, democracy's our style, unless you are against us, then it's prison without trial." Sounds very complimentary to George Bush to me! It also sounds like Mick is trying to backpedal a bit.
It's been 47 months since the attacks on 9/11, and we haven't had another Islamic terrorist attack. Ann Coulter says it's time for the media to give the Bush administration a little credit.
Here's an interesting scenario....looks like Terry McAullife said that if The Hildabeast has a tough race for reelection to the Senate in 2006, she won't run. Naturally, this has always been about one thing: becoming president of the United States anyway.
Speaking of Hillary Clinton for president, a new poll shows that Rudy Giuliani would trounce Mrs. Clinton. Of course, that will not stop the Democratic party from nominating her. Good.
Dick Morris says Hillary has a real fight on her hands, because a majority of voters think she should have to serve out her full term in the Senate, if reelected.
Here's an interesting question. With the Natalee Holloway case running on the cable news networks around the clock, Froma Harrop wonders if the press treats all abducted women equally.
Just as with 9/11 in the United States, the fringe left likes to pretend that the British had it coming when London was bombed. John Lloyd argues otherwise.
The news networks are fretting about supposed "record" gas prices, but as the Media Research Center reports, we're nowhere near the record.
Robert Novak looks at the current vote count of senators in favor of John Roberts, and points out that he'll probably be confirmed, but Bush may have problems with the next nomination. Still no comment on Novak's CNN tirade.
Remember that fatwa issued by American Islamic organizations denouncing terrorism and calling for peace? Larry Elder says it may just be a fast one, not a fatwa.
The United States is always accused of being imperialist in its foreign policy. Erik Rush says not only should we pursue just a policy, but perhaps we should've colonized third world countries while we were at it. Band names new album after The Baby Jesus' home phone number and is attacked by a pack of lawyers. Heather's Reading Assignments Oh if only we could all be such good humanitarians to sue our spouse's caretakers. Runaway husband: They may make him pay for the search... WHY??? Grown-ups run away all time as do many many fathers and husbands. I didn't hear him making up stories about being kidnapped. BTW~ did you see Jennifer's community service photos ? Pretending to be a policeman while in a stolen car is not such a good idea. Cat fights by any other name, just wouldn't be as expensive. Colonel Oliver North hopes Bolton knows what he is in for! I was almost fooled too. It's ok. Here is the factcheck! Here is the transcript from Rush. | 
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